I love how teams always have a compelling reason to raise ticket prices.
The Bruins are hardly the only team to do this, but I find their rationalization of increased tickets especially distasteful, mentioning an increased salary cap as a reason to increase ticket prices. But since the cap is revenue-based, doesn’t that means the Bruins made more money last year? So, basically, the Bruins made money last year, and instead of lowering prices, are raising them?
It’s just offensive. You can trade away your franchise player and field a horrible team, but I really don’t think it’s fair to do that AND raise your ticket prices. I really believe it should be one or the other.
Speaking of messed-up hockey things, here’s Tim Panaccio on the NHL and the media (login info.):

Finally, the Los Angeles Times has decided it no longer will send its hockey writers to cover Kings and Ducks road games. It’s a frightening day in the NHL when one of the world’s largest newspapers decides to write off hockey. Last fall, the New York Times decided not to cover the Rangers on the road, until it became apparent that the newspaper could no longer ignore how good they were. “There are some markets in the United States in which hockey remains one of the major sports,” and “some in which it has become a niche sport,” Randy Harvey, sports editor of the Los Angeles Times, said in an e-mail interview. “In our market, it’s a niche sport.” That hockey is viewed in such terms should be of grave concern to commissioner Gary Bettman.

The interesting thing here is the LA Times and New York Times are both national papers. They serve a geographic region, but they’re edited with a much wider outlook than their mastheads indicate. So while I applaud Panaccio’s calling out of Bettman in the same kind of way I always clap when Marty’s dad punches Biff in BACK TO THE FUTURE, I’m not sure the situation is that dire. Hockey isn’t a national sport in the states. Just like college football isn’t. There are lots of fans, but it’s much more of a regional thing. If the Detroit Free Press or the Detroit News ever cut back on hockey coverage, I’m sure there’d be riots. Hockey is a niche sport, but sports in general are niche. MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL isn’t on a network anymore (and NBC’s FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA is more wistful than accurate). The NBA sends more and more of its programming to cable, too. Bettman should be keeping his eye on this, but I’m not convinced it’s a grave issue. I’m way more worried about goalie-crashing.